Happy Birthday The Chef Hub

One Year of The Chef Hub: Taking Nothing for Granted

It’s hard to believe, but The Chef Hub turns one year old today. Twelve months ago, this was just an idea, after being made redundant not just once, but twice in the same year - a belief that we could build something special for chefs and hospitality professionals. No blueprint, no guarantees, just a simple mission: to connect great people with great opportunities, and to do it the right way. Oh, and have ZERO clients...

Taking Nothing for Granted

What actually started over COVID as a support network and digital content provider, to get venues back off the ground during Rona was part time, as an operations content provider evolved into what is available today, that plus much more, that was needed for a short period and then switched off for a number of years to commit to employers needs, THIER needs.

When you start from scratch, every single moment counts. Every chef who takes your call. Every client who gives you a chance. Every late night spent refining, learning, and pushing forward.

I remember just finishing the website, the Monday morning bringing it back to where it is now, thinking how much I believe I have a solid ground to start and know chefs, and know how I want it to go, you just never know though - not for sure, I launched the site, switching it from private to public, and my phone rang, my first potential client! Managing a number of food stalls in Manchester that wanted some financial structure and some operational support, all within the first hour of going live, I mean, if that isn't a good sign then I dont know what is?

This past year has reminded me to take nothing for granted - not the trust people place in us, not the lessons learned along the way, and definitely not the support that’s made all of this possible.

The People Who Make It All Work

To the chefs and hospitality professionals who’ve joined The Chef Hub community - thank you. Your passion, your craft, and your trust in what we’re building mean everything.

To our clients and partners, who’ve believed in our approach, worked with us, and shared our vision - we couldn’t do this without you. You’ve given us the chance to prove what’s possible when quality and relationships come first.

And to everyone behind the scenes - from those helping to build systems and processes family support, on superb industry peers that are there cheering us on, the coffee chats, the video calls, the mentions on Sunday mornings or the leaders that carry your name even in rooms your are not in that day - thank you for being part of this journey.

Building Takes Time

If this year has taught me anything, it’s that building something meaningful takes time. It’s easy to want instant results, (and believe me there are plenty of our competitors that just wait to see what the next advert is you are posting so they can purely undercut you, work a way in to your way of working rather than build for themselves, its not personal, they do it to each other lol not just me!!) but real, lasting success comes from consistency, care, and doing things the right way - even when it takes longer.

We’re still early in the journey, but I’m proud of what I have built so far and even prouder of the people we’ve built it with. I always wanted the Chef Hub to look and feel like your local support network - a community vibe, while we have the knowledge, insight and same access to CV's as the big boys out there, we have the agility, the in roads, the empathy, the vocabulary, the direct communication resources to speed up the process, or the adaptability to pivot quickly when its not quite where we want it all to be.

"What makes you so different?" Im asked of course;

Offering support, free resources, digital content, aftercare, industry understanding, personable, reactive, approachable, relentless - I can find a candidate that will suit.

Whilst transactions keep us doing what we do, its not all about that for me and the vision for the future, its the before and after care, support during the interview process, analytics, the operational systems once placed, we can offer when the venue needs lifting or support and structures, its the physical visits rather than a teams call, while AI is all the fashion, nothing can replace connectivity, and human interactions, a smile and a coffee....

Can your current recruiter be that? or just a transaction?

So here’s to year one - to great chefs, superb clients, and a growing community that proves good things take time.

Want to be part of the journey? Share your email address to us.

Thank you for being part of The Chef Hub story.Here’s to what comes next.

- Tony Founder, The Chef Hub